Saskatchewan election issues 2016: Roads and highways

Pledging to fix Saskatchewan's crumbling highways is "always an election winner," says Greg Poelzer, an associate professor of political studies at the University of Saskatchewan.Bryan Schlosser / Regina Leader-Post

As winter reluctantly releases its grip on Saskatchewan, melting snow and ice reveals gaping potholes and crumbling roads. Saskatchewan is growing — the latest population figures show 13,000 more people lived in the province in 2015 than in 2014 — and more people are trundling along our roads than ever before, driving up the need for maintenance and repairs.

Why it matters

Carl Kuhnke, director of the Saskatchewan centre of excellence for transportation and infrastructure at the University of Saskatchewan, is tired of spending hours bumping up and down along Saskatchewan’s roads and highways. He’s adamant that they’re “substandard” compared to other provinces and says more money is needed to twin, pave and repave roads to make driving safer and more comfortable. As the province’s population grows, this need will become even greater.

Some of Saskatchewan’s rural roads constructed in the 1960s and 70s are thin membrane surface roads that are particularly prone to deterioration during freeze-thaw cycles. Saskatchewan is the only place in Canada where this type of road is found. In last spring’s budget, the government pledged $73.9 million to upgrade them. Still, more than 5,000 kilometres of these pothole-riddled roads remain.

As the need to replace aging roads grows, so too does the need for new infrastructure, particularly in growing cities. Leaders in both Regina and Saskatoon want to build new roadway interchanges. Prince Albert and Saskatoon want new bridges.

How will it factor into the election?

The Saskatchewan Party’s most significant campaign promise is to pump $70 million into highway repair and maintenance over three years. Meanwhile, the NDP says it will reduce spending on highways, but still pave more by reducing contractor and consultant spending. The party estimates it can save $155.8 million over four years by cutting the Ministry of Highway’s spending on consultants and another $78.7 million over the same period by reducing ministry spending on contractors.

The Saskatchewan Party and NDP are also at odds about how to proceed with construction of new interchanges and other new road infrastructure. While a Saskatchewan Party government would continue to use public-private partnership (P3) models, which are being used for projects such as the North Commuter Parkway in Saskatoon and the Regina Bypass, the NDP says such funding models ultimately cost more and would no longer be used.

What do the experts say?

Greg Poelzer, an associate professor of political studies at the University of Saskatchewan, says pledging to repair and maintain highways is “always an election winner,” particularly among rural voters. Not only do pothole-free highways mean smoother rides to work or the cottage, the work needed on them means more jobs and the end result will benefit industry, including the natural resource and agriculture sectors.

What have the parties promised?

Saskatchewan Party

Pump $70 million into repairing and maintaining the provincial highway system over three years as part of a new Highways 2020 plan.

Use the P3 model to fund new interchanges and road infrastructure.

NDP

Rebuild the Ministry of Highways to make it more cost-effective.

Create a Northern Highways Strategy that would prioritize building an all-season road into the northern community of Wollaston Lake (the community estimates the road would cost about $70 million).

Liberal

No specific campaign promises for roads and highways.

Green

No specific campaign promises for roads and highways.

Progressive Conservatives

To continue studying traffic patterns in photo radar locations and have law enforcement report quarterly on the number of photo radar tickets issued to ensure the pilot project is effective in slowing drivers and not a cash grab by the provincial government.

Develop a new, cheaper route for the Regina Bypass that would go north of the city instead of south.

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